UHCS Patient update 23 March 2020

Kia ora,

On Sunday 22 March the Ministry of Health and the Medical Council advised all medical practices across New Zealand of new operating arrangements in response to COVID-19.

The new operating arrangements mean that the University Health and Counselling Service must operate in a different way to minimise face-to-face contact to support nation-wide measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, to protect our health workforce and to protect your health and wellbeing.

This means that:

All non-essential appointments will be cancelled (for things such as pap smears.)

For essential appointments, we will be operating phone and zoom consultations and where appropriate continue with face to face consultations.

All presentations to the service will be triaged by phone by a nurse initially, with advice given. If it is deemed you do need to see a Doctor, you will be able to speak to a Doctor on the phone and/or be admitted into the service for a face to face consultation.

Prescriptions will continue to be administered. Patients who need a repeat prescription will be assessed and provided a Doctor consultation on the phone, or if deemed appropriate issued a repeat without a consultation. We are making arrangements with the on-campus pharmacy for prescriptions to be safely picked up, as well as with Zoom Pharmacy for prescriptions to be delivered.

Counselling appointments will now be delivered by zoom or phone, unless the Lead Counsellor determines that a face to face consultation is required. In this instance, access to the clinic will be treated in the same way as all other arrivals (nurse triage by phone prior to access being granted)

Preparing for Level 4 lockdown

Following the Vice Chancellor’s email, you will know that the University is moving into a remote teaching and studying environment for everyone, to prepare for the Level 4 nationwide lockdown.

All staff and students are required to stay away from the campus for the next four weeks – unless you are seeking University Health & Counselling Services, or need to pick-up medical or food supplies.

Over the next four weeks, the UHCS located in the Kate Edger Information Commons building at City Campus, and the clinics based at Grafton and Epsom campuses will remain open. Please ring UHCS ahead of time before coming onto campus – do not just turn up to the clinic.

High Risk Patients
Following the guidance in the Prime Minister’s statement on the weekend, any patients that meet the following high-risk criteria are encouraged to stay away from campus, stay at home and away from others.

Compromised immune systems
Students with compromised immune systems should not come onto campus, and should study from home. This also includes students who are pregnant or have increased risk of complications from COVID-19 such as diabetes, respiratory conditions and heart disease. Please complete the University of Auckland COVID-19 Semester One 2020 online form to let the University know you are not able to come onto campus, and so that appropriate support provisions can be put in place.

We would like to remind you of the range of personal support services that are available to you at this time to support your health and wellbeing, and in particular those student services that can be accessed off campus.

Many thanks for your support and understanding.

If you have any questions about the University’s response to COVID-19 please visit this website or email coronavirus@auckland.ac.nz.